LAS VEGAS — The Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls are set to continue their postseason runs in the Mountain West Basketball Championships at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Cowgirls, the No. 2 seed, will face No. 6 Fresno State in the women’s semifinal Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time. Meanwhile, the ninth-seeded Cowboys will take on No. 8 San Jose State in the men’s first round Wednesday at noon.
University of Wyoming sports coverage in Southwest Wyoming is supported by these great sponsors:
Cowgirls Aim for Championship Berth
Wyoming (21-10) advanced to the semifinals with a 77-64 comeback victory over Air Force on Monday. The Cowgirls set a Mountain West Tournament record by shooting 60.4% (32-of-53) from the field, including 19-of-25 in the second half. They have now won five straight games, overcoming halftime deficits in four of them.
Allyson Fertig led the charge with her 13th double-double of the season, scoring a game-high 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. “We trust each other, and we play for each other,” Fertig said after the win. Malene Pedersen added 18 points, making six consecutive shots to close the game, while Tess Barnes and Emily Mellema chipped in 15 points each. Mellema also contributed five assists and three steals.
The Cowgirls lead the Mountain West in scoring defense, allowing just 58.8 points per game, and have won 10 of their last 11 contests. They are seeking their second trip to the championship game in three seasons.
Fresno State (17-14) enters the semifinal after winning two tournament games. The Bulldogs are led by All-Mountain West selection Mia Jacobs, who ranks second in the league in scoring (18.3 points per game) and rebounding (10.1 per game). Wyoming won the lone regular-season meeting between the teams, 68-59, in January. Fresno State holds a 22-21 edge in the all-time series, but Wyoming has won six straight matchups.
Cowboys Face San Jose State in First Round
The Cowboys (12-19) open their tournament run against a familiar opponent, as they look to snap a two-game losing streak against San Jose State (14-18). Wyoming has played 13 games decided by four points or fewer this season, including its final two regular-season losses.
Wyoming is shooting 43.9% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range, averaging 7.8 made threes per game. The Cowboys are led by Obi Agbim, who ranks fourth in the conference with 17.8 points per game and leads the nation in three-point shooting at 44.4%. Jordan Nesbitt has recorded eight double-doubles this season and averages 8.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
San Jose State, which defeated Fresno State in its regular-season finale, averages 73 points per game while allowing 74.1. Josh Uduje leads the Spartans in scoring at 16.6 points per game, while Robert Vaihola contributes 7.7 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds.
Wyoming leads the all-time series 22-5, but the Spartans won both regular-season meetings. The teams have met twice in the Mountain West Championship, with Wyoming winning both times, including a 111-80 victory in 2021.
The winner will advance to face top-seeded New Mexico in the quarterfinals Thursday at 1 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.
